Just like any other baby, preparations must be made for your kitten's arrival.  In advance you will need to prepare: -
A WARM BED:  Which can be bought from a pet shop, or adapted from a plastic storage carton or cardboard box, lined with a warm blanket or a piece of 'vetbed'.  This should be placed in a warm, quiet, draught-free place.
A LITTER TRAY:  Which should always be available whether or not your cat goes out and this should always be kept in the same place.  Various types of litter are available, but initially try using the type that the kitten has been used to.  In your kittens case, this is Yesterday's News, which you can purchase by clicking the the image of the bag on the left from R&L Pet Products. Trays should be cleaned as used, and thoroughly washed and disinfected at least once a week.
DISHES:  A fresh supply of water should always be available.  Each cat should have its own food bowl, which must be made from an easily cleaned material.
A CARRYING BASKET:  Is essential for collecting your kitten and also for trips to the vets and boarding cattery if necessary.  There are lots of types, but do not make the mistake of buying one too small.  Remember that little kittens grow into big cats and you'll only end up buying another one in a few months.  The best types are easily cleaned and draught proof.  It is not only unsafe, but also against the law to have an unrestrained cat in a moving vehicle.
Collecting Your Kitten and Settling In
I ask visitors to please take a few simple hygenic precautions in order to prevent the spread of infection.  Do not come and visit me if you have just visited another cattery or household with cats.  If you have cats at home, please put on a clean fresh change of clothing including shoes.  If your home cats have not had vaccinations kept up to date, please get that sorted out two months before you come to visit my kittens.  Please note that I am reluctant to home my kittens in an environment where I suspect they will not be receiving their yearly boosters.  Please wash your hands before you leave your home and don't be offended if I ask all to do the same on entering my cattery.  If you are bringing children with you to view/collect kittens, please explain to them beforehand that they are not to touch or pick up the kittens unless I invite them to.  I do my best to make sure my kittens are all reared in a safe environment, and am also sympathatic to how tempting it is for young children to want to pick up and cuddle young kittens (I am a mother too!)  But please, save me the embarrasment of having to ask you to return another time without unruly children if I find them handling kittens in a dangerous way, or frightening the kittens with behaviour that frightens them.

Try to arrange to collect your kitten at a weekend or when you have a few days off, as this will allow it plenty of time to settle in.  Your kitten will have had a series of two vaccinations against Feline Infectious Enteritis, Chlamydia and  'Cat Flu', the last one being given at twelve weeks.  Therefore, expect to collect your kitten at 13 weeks old.  Remember to take your cat to the vet's for boosters every twelve months to ensure full protection throughout its life.  Your kitten has also been provided with vaccination against leukaemia along with the flu vaccination in one dose.  Please keep this double protection up on a yearly basis.

I will provide you with his vaccination record, a copy of the kitten's pedigree, GCCF registration transfer form, a kitten pack and a sheet listing the diet and feeding times the kitten is used to.  If you have any questions concerning care of your new kitten, do ask me and I will be glad to offer advice.

On collection, secure the kitten in the car.  Do NOT have the carrier on the seat without a belt securing it!    If there is room, you could also put the carrier safely in the footwell of the car.  Expect your kitten to cry for part of the way home.  Do not open the carrier door, but talk soothingly to the baby to reassure it. It is a traumatic drive home for the kitten, as the baby is not used to traveling in a car and this can be very frightening for it. It will soon fall asleep if you're lucky.  Put on soothing music for yourself! 

When you arrive home, make sure that all doors and windows are shut, and that the chimney is blocked.  Confine your kitten to one room until it gains some confidence.  Make sure that a litter tray and water are present before opening the basket.  Handling gently, take the kitten from the basket and show it the water and litter tray before letting it explore its new surroundings.  Do not leave the kitten in the care of young children until they know the 'rules'.  The kitten must NOT be let outside at all until it is fully familiar with its new family and surroundings.  Expect to keep your kitten indoors for up to a month or two.  Make sure younger family members realise how important it is to close doors behind them to prevent the kitten from going outdoors unsupervised.

Your kitten has spent most of it's early life living in a very busy household.  He is used to dogs, visiting children, and the daily comings and goings of active life.  Within this safe and healthy social early life, the kitten will still be nervous of anything new and will view anything out of the ordinary with caution.  Suddenly being in a new, untested environment will cause some early signs of fear in your new kitten.  He will probably not feel inclined to jump into your lap, purring away, as soon as you bring him home!  Give him space, and time.  And be patient.

The kitten will be a little nervous and a loud noise will frighten it, so it is important that any young children understand the need to keep quiet.  Babies and toddlers are best in another room until the kitten has gained a little confidence.

If another animal already lives in the house, introductions are best left until the next day when the kitten will feel more secure.  Allow the kitten to explore the house, prior to introductions.  This helps both parties to get used to each others smell.  Introductions should be closely monitored, and be prepared for resentment from both sides, especially the longstanding pet, who may feel his territory threatened.  This may take a week or more to pass, and try to be understanding to the pet, whilst protecting the kitten.

Please take signs of illness seriously.  A temporary loss of appetitie shouldn't last more than the first day.  If you are worried, then speak to me and if necessary, consult a vet.
FEEDING YOUR KITTEN:     Any changes to my recommendations should be made gradually to prevent a stomach upset.  Cats need variety to prevent boredom.  Food fads ('my cat only eats fresh chicken,' etc) may result if you allow your pet to only stick to its most favoured diet, so vary the diet to keep your cats interest up and to ensure good health.  Restricted diets can cause many problems including blindness, poor growth and even premature death. 

Because kittens have tiny stomachs they need small, regular frequent meals when young.  At three months they require four meals a day, gradually increasing in size and reducing in frequency until they are eating two meals a day, at about a year old.  However, if you need to leave the house for several hours, your kitten will not suffer as you will have left enough food to carry him through the day.  Cats and kittens are 'grazers' and eat small amounts at each feeding session, returning to the food dishes often to 'top up'.  So if when you put the food dishes down for him and he eats only a small portion then leaves and goes off to play, don't take up the dishes, as he is very likely to return very shortly for another few mouthfuls after he has satisfied his manic play urge.

Food available includes:

1:  Tinned Pet Foods:  Formulated to provide all the necessary nutrients a cat requires.  Available in a variety of flavours and brand names.  Judge the quality, but watch out for expensive speciality brands, which may be delicious but a little rich for kittens and should be given as a treat.

2:  Dried Pet Foods:  Are indispensible, as they do not deteriorate if left down.  There are some excellent complete dry kitten foods available now that can be used as an only source of food.  Wet diets are not the only option available anymore!  A copious supply of water is essential since cats drink more water when eating dried food.

3:  Fresh Fish:  Must be cooked.  White fish is especially good, but feeding too much of certain types, such as tuna, can cause a serious Vitamen E deficiency.

4:  Milk and Eggs.  Though milk is a good source of calcium, it can cause diarrhoea in some cats and kittens, and it is probably better to feed as a treat rather than as part of the standard diet.  Your vet will suggest products to supplement calcium, if necessary.  Eggs can be fed either as raw yolks (not whites), or cooked whole (scrambled or egg custard).  Your kitten has not been given supplementary milk so may react badly to this being included in its diet.

5:  Fresh Meat:  Must be cooked to kill parasites and bacteria, though an occasional treat of raw minced beef shouldn't cause harm.  A large bone to chew is good for teeth but small bones can lodge in the throat and kill, so these should be removed before feeding.

REMEMBER TO HAVE FRESH WATER AVAILABLE AT ALL TIMES

HAZARDS AROUND THE HOME:

General Hazards:  Just like young children, every room is full of hazards for the new kitten.  Remember things like unprotected fire, hot baths, cooker hotplates, washing machines, tumble dryers, tops of storage heaters, hot irons, open windows and doors, unprotected electric cables and even leaving the loo seat up can lead to disaster!  Don't do the ironing when your kitten is around!

POISONS

Slug pellets, gardening chemicals and antifreeze are all poisonous.  Some disinfectants are also lethal.  These include T.C.P., Jeyes Fluid, Iodine and Dettol.  A quick test is not to use disinfectants if they turn white when mixed with water.  Much safer products include Savlon, Milton and Domestos, but make sure that they are properly diluted.  Specific pet disinfectants are available on the market.

Some house and garden plants are also poisonous, and all plants are best put out of reach to prevent mutilation of your prized vegetation.

All lilies are absolutely toxic to your cat.  He only needs to brush against the pollen, lick the pollen off his fur... and unfortunately, your cat may not survive long enough to even make it to the vet in time.  It is that dangerous.  If you MUST have lilies in your home, make sure you cut off all the stamens and rinse any pollen that may remain on the petals. 

THE WORLD OUTSITE

British Shorthair's enjoy exploring but do not necessarily need the outside world, and only you can decide whether or not to let your cat go out.  Should you decide to let your cat out, do not do so until it has been in the house for at least a fortnight.  Even then, it should be closely surpervised until it is fully acquainted with its surrounds, and will respond to your calls from wherever it is.  Choose a time just before a meal, so that it will come back for food.

Not all people are cat lovers, and for this reason never let your cat out at night or it may not return in the morning.  Your cat should not be let out in semi-darkness or when you are away.  An unfortunate reality is the problem with foxes.  A fox will not pass up the opportunity of taking your kitten during the night, especially during the spring season when there are cubs to be fed.  This is a more serious problem with 'missing cats' than most people realise.  My own personal experiences taught me this lesson, never to let my cats out at night - at all!  And remember, just because your cat goes out during the day, you should still provide a litter tray in the house.  Don't let puss get 'caught short' while you're out shopping!

British Shorthair cats are great fun.  They are amusing, affectionate, intelligent, easygoing and very hardy.  By following these few basic steps you should have a companion for many years to come and I hope you enjoy your new friend.

PET INSURANCE AND MICROCHIPPING

All my adult cats are microchipped.  I would strongly advise you to have your kitten insured as well.  He only has 6 weeks free insurance, but please take up the annual insurance as most mishaps seem to take place in the first couple years of a cats life.  Please get your kitten microchipped.  It could save you an awful lot of worry and heartache if you do so.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to phone me and I will do all I can to help.

Susan Godsmark.